the Great Irish Famine

Mine is a blog about food and drink, isn't it? Yes, of course. But dealing with the topic, it is also important to talk about the consequences that food and agricultural problems can (or could) have on population.

The first idea that comes to my mind about this topic is Ireland and potatoes. Why? If you have ever been to any city, town or village in Ireland, you'll discover that potatoes are basic when cooking anything: a steak or a fillet with a side-salad or vegetables and... fried potatoes and boiled potatoes, smashed potatoes and a grilled great potato, ... altogether.

If you think about it, the result is that when potato crops failed in older times, poor families had really "nothing" to eat. Then they decided to migrate to a new place where they thought there would be no problems: America. It happened between 1845 and 1952.

Bad crops were a frequent problem all over Europe. But the catastrophe was worse for Ireland as one third of Irish population was entirely dependent on potatoes for food.

The importance of the Great Irish Famine is so great that the famine became part of folk memory and it produced as a consequence nationalist movements. It is also recognized as the worst human disaster of 19th century, with 8,5 million people dead (al least one million in terrible conditions), one million people as refugees.

The Potato Blight is often considered as the greates wave of Irish immigration to America, when half a million had arrived in America to start a new life. Due to this fact, many families from Irish origin took Catholic religion (St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York) , Irish traditions (St. Patrick's) and well-known names to different aspects of American life (The Kennedys in politics are a good example). You will learn more about the Potato Famine in Ireland and the Irish immigration to America and how Americans accepted the immigrants in the Web and in other entries in my blog.

The importance of potatoes in the UK and Ireland

You cannot spend a single day in the United Kingdom or Ireland without realizing the importance of this product in all meals. It is a basic ingredient in their dishes and a side- in most of them. That is why there are so many recipes and websites about this topic which include all kinds of information about it: crops, different kinds of potatoes, recipes, nutritional information, official websides by the Government to support this industry or potato crops and so on.

If you haven't spent some time with a British or Irish family, this will sound quite strange; but my experience has made me learnt that this is true: a typical Irish dinner including fish or meat, peas, carrots, SMASHED POTATOES and BAKED POTATOES altogether, not as options. I must thank Marlene Moran, my Irish landlady while I was staying in Dublin for my "Spanish teachers of English" in 1992, who always cooked typical Irish dishes for her guests from all nationalities.

You'll find lots of websites (I'll show you some in the future) including recipes of all kinds, but basically is potatoes, potatoes and more potatoes every day.

Ir a: http://www.potato.org.uk/ supporting the British Potato Industry

Ir a: http://www.britishpotatoes.co.uk/ (supporting the B.P.I. and lots of recipes and information for children

Ir a: http://www.potatoesforcaterers.co.uk/ (B.P.I. and nutritional information)

Ir a: http://www.potatoesforschools.org.uk/ (for schools and teachers, to grow, to cook, ...)

Ir a: http://www.lovechips.co.uk/ (more original, about the Potato Week in February 2009)

Ir a: http://www.foodsafety.gov/ (an official website about alerts, consumer advise and education, ...)

Easter in Great Britain

When we think about something special at Easter in Spain, we usually think of Easter eggs (like the one in the photo to the right). Of course, there are "torrijas" all over the country. There are also lots of different cakes, sweeties and so on, according to the place where you spend your Easter holidays.


What about Great Britain and Ireland? What's the meaning of Easter for Britons? Remember they are not a Catholic, but an Anglican country. Even the name is from Anglo-Saxon origin, a goddess of fertility and springtime.


Easter in Britain and Ireland is similar throughout all four countries and, as in Spain, involves traditional cooking and baking with the highlight of the weekend of festivities involving copious amounts of chocolate eggs. Have you ever thought that Spaniards and Britons shared customs and traditions?


The two important cakes at Easter are the Simnel Cake and Hot Cross Buns. They were my first contact with Easter traditions in Britain during my first stay with my "British family" at Alice's. I must say that they were a Catholic family, a minority in London.


Hot Cross Buns are marked with a cross and were eaten by the Saxons to honor their goddess Eostre - it is thought the bun represented the moon and the cross the moon's quarters. To Christians, the cross symbolizes the crucifixion and traditionally eaten warm with butter on Good Friday (on the photo on the right).


The Simnel Cake signifies the end of Lent but as it was originally made on Mothering Sunday, I consider it deserves an entry apart.


Anything else important about Easter? Any other memories to share with you? Yes. It's nothing to do with food and drink, but all the same, you must know that British people share some traditions, as chocolate eggs and that they are not all so shy and reserved and you may think of them. "Easter Bonnet Parade" is a good example.

Ir a: http://www.visitbritain.co.uk/things-to-see-and-do/interests/food-drink/features/easter-food-traditions.aspx (about all kinds of traditions)

Ir a: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/ (news about 2009 Easter)